Machine for cutting plastic materials.



W. H. RICHMAN.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIALS.

. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5 I914- 19%219594w Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. H. RICHMAN.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1914. LQQL594Q Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WILLIAM RICHMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIALS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed June 5, 1914. Serial No. 843,238.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. RICH- MAN, a citizen of the'UnitedStates, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented anImproved Machine for Cutting Plastic Materials, of which the followingis a specification.

One objectof myinvention is to provide a simple and substantial machinefor cutting a-bar of soap or other plastic material into cakes'or piecesof definite length, the apparatus being adapted to automaticallyoperatein connection with a plodder, whereby soap is delivered in acontinuous length but at a speed which is generally variable.

Another object of'the invention is to provide a machine of the characterindicated with novel means for supporting and maintainingits bladessubstantially perpendicular'to the line of movement of the materialacted-on.

These objects and other advantageous ends 'I secure as-hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section illustrating myinvention as applied to a soap plodder;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation on a larger scale than Fig. 1, furtherillustrating my machine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a-a, Fig. 2; an

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the cutting blades .andits associatedparts.

As will be understood by thoseskilled in the soap-making art, the bar orlength of soapis delivered from a-plodder at a varying speed, and it is,therefore, not feasible to cut this bar intolengths by means of a cutterdriven at a uniform speed, because with such a device the soap would becut into pieces of different lengths. -My machine, however, is sodesigned that its speed is dependent upon the-speed at which the soaptravels andthis desired end is obtained by making the moving bar of soapserve as the operating; means for said. machine.

In the above drawings, lrrepresents the casing of a machine for formingsoap or other plastic material into continuous lengths and-this is-shownas including a hopper 2 leading to a cylindrical chamber 3 is such thatthe center-line -:flanges 12 and so mounted in which is mounted aconveying screw 4 which rotates on a substantially horizontal axis. Thisscrew operates Within the chamher 3, one of whose ends is forateddie-plate 5 confined between the casing 1 and anozzle structure 6 whosechambeg1 tapers from the die-plate to its outlet en This structure iscooled by water suppli-ed to a Water-jacket 7 and its outlet end closedby a peris provided with a die-plate 8 in which is an opening 9 andwhich is held to the end of the nozzle structure by a clamping ring 10.

The arrangement of the above noted parts of the opening 9 ispreferablycoincident with the axis of the screw 4 and with the center line of thechamber ofthe nozzle 6.

Connected-tothe lower front part of the die-plateSso as topermit ofvertical adjustment relativelythereto, is a horizontally extendingplatform structure 11 having its edges formed with up\ ardly projectingthat its top surfaceis at the same level as thelower edge of the opening9 in the die-plate. The

guide-way'formedby this platform and its flanged edges isgreater widththan the width of the dispreferably of slightly charge opening 9 andsaid structure has projecting laterally from it an extension 13 in whichis fixed a vertically extending bar 14 hel'd'in place by set-screws 15.

structure 11, although they are respectively operative immediatelyoutside the edges of the latter.

Mounted between the-side frames 20 are a series of cutters 21 intheshape of rectangular blades having their lower edges relatively sharpand connected adjacent said edges to journals or spindles 22respectively operative in bearings in said two frames. One journal ofeach blade has fixed to it a crank arm 23 whose center-line issubstantially coincident with the plane of its blade '21 and whose outerend is provided with a projecting journal 24 rotatably operative in abearing provided by a third wheel-like frame 25. This latter isrotatablymounted on a pin or journal 26 carried at the outer I end of the crankarm 18 at the same dis- 'tance from the center line of the shaft 17 asor other plastic material is delivered to the hopper 2 and the screw 4:is turned at a proper speed while cooling liquid is delivered to thewater-jacket 7. In the case of the machine illustrated, the soap isdrawn from the hopper 2 into the chamber 3 and from there is forced bythe screw 1 through the die-plate 5 into the nozzle structure 6. Thecontinuous delivery of soap into this structure causes it to be stronglycompressed and united intoa single practically homogeneous body by thetime it reaches the opening 9 from which it is delivered in a relativelystiff bar of rectangular or other section which'moves rearwardly,usually at a constantly varying speed, upon the table formed by theguide bracket 11. This bar shortly comes into engagement with thevertical surface of one of the knives or cutters 21 and its continuedrearward movement through said knife turns the knife carrying frame onits supporting shaft 17. Ob-

viously the knife first engaged by the end of the bar has its cuttingedge gradually forced toward the top surface of the table 11 until it ispractically in engagement therewith when at the lowest part of its pathof movement. In the meantime, the next succeeding knife is graduallylowered until its cutting edge comes into engagement with the top of thebar delivered from thenozzle structure 6 and as said bar is forcedrearwardly upon the table the second knife is made to cut into andthrough it as the knife frame is turned. A definite length of materialis thus cut and is forced along by the adjacent end of the plastic barafter the knife has reached its lowest point and has risen clear of saidbar.

Obvioulsy, as long as there is a delivery of the soap from the orifice9, the knife frame continues to rotate and the knives are successivelybrought into engagement 'tric frame 25 is likewise turned on the"crank-pin 26 and that in such manner that all of the crank arms 23 andhence all of the knives 21 are maintained in vertical planes at allpoints of their revolution. As a consequence of this, the knives arecaused to make a clean cut through the plastic material which thus formsthe motive power for rotating the knife-carrying frame and operating theknives.

If it should be desired that the machine cut bars of lengths differentfrom that made with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, thenthe journals 22 of the several knife blades may be placed in others ofthe holes 7 than the outermost ones. In such a case the journals 24 ofthe crank arms 23 would likewise be changed into the holes 28 of theeccentric frame 25 at the same distance from the center of the pin 26 asthat of the journals 22 from the shaft responding distance, so that thecutting edge of each of the knives or blades will practically engage thesurface of the table 11 as they are rotated.

Moreover, when it is desired to change the section. or dimensions of thebar delivered from the plodder, a die-plate 30, having an opening of therequired shape is mounted between the delivery end of the nozzlestructure and the plate 8 and clamped in place by the member 10. Byloosening the nut on the bolt 31, the platform structure 11 may beadjusted so that its top surface is on the level of the bottom of theopening in this second die-plate 30, and said nut may thereafter betightened to hold the parts in their given positions.

I claim 1. The combination in a machine for cutting plastic materials ofa table; a rotary frame mounted adjacent thereto and having a series ofbearings; a second frame mounted eccentrically to the first frame; aseries of fiat blades having cutting edges; journals connected to saidblades adjacent their cutting edges respectively and operative in thebearings of the first frame; and a series of crank arms respectivelyconnecting the blades with the second frame.

2. The combination in a machine for cutting plastic materials of asupporting structure including a table; a standard; a shaft mounted inthe standard, a rotary frame including two. side members mounted on theshaft; plates forming knives mounted at I their ends in bearingsprovided on said side name to this specification, in the presencemembers; a crank arm on the shaft; a crank arm connected to each of theknives; and a second frame mounted on said shaft-carried of twosubscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. RIOHMAN.

crank arm and connected to all of the knife Witnesses: crank arms.WILLIAM E. BRADLEY,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my WM. A. BARR.

Copies (if this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

